Crossroad Blues S2 Ep8
by Bad Day at Black Rock
Summary: A crossroads demon has been cutting deals to gain souls for eternity. Dean doesn't think this is a case they should help out with but finds it may hold an interest for him.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: These fics are based on real episodes of Supernatural. The characters and plots belong to the creator and writers for the show. If you would like background on the new character you can read the previous episodes.

Crossroad Blues

Sam was scrolling through the federal database on his laptop; it wasn't good news. Dean had a warrant out for his arrest and his picture was in the FBI's database. He was getting serious law enforcement attention.

"Dude I'm like Dillenger or something." Dean grinned.

"Dean it's not funny. It makes the job harder, we gotta be more careful now." Getting arrested was probably one of their biggest mistakes yet.

"Well what do they got on you?"

He'd already noticed they didn't have a thing on him. Not even a suspected associate. "I'm sure they just haven't posted it yet."

Kayla caught his attitude and stifled a giggle. "That's good though, right? We don't need both of you on the hit list."

"Shut up."

Dean smirked. "You're jealous, it's ok. Kayla is too." He set an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh completely."

"So what have you got on the case then you innocent, harmless young man you?"

Sam gave him a look and pulled out a newspaper clipping. "Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the roof of his home, a condominium he designed. Called animal control two days earlier."

"And he actually said black dog?"

"Yeah." He read from the statement. "Vicious, wild, black dog."

Kayla took a sip of her drink. "So how'd this wild black dog get to the top floor of a condo?"

"Well authorities are a little confused on that."

"What's the lore?" Dean asked.

"It's all pretty vague. There are stories of black dogs all over world, some say animal spirits, others say death omens. Whatever they are they're big and nasty creatures." He passed the picture across the table.

Dean looked at it. "Yeah I bet they could hump the crap out of your leg, look at that one." He held the picture up, Sam and Kayla stared at him. "What? They could."

Sam shook his head; it was moments like this that he completely didn't understand why his brother was so popular with women. But there she was, still looking at him with that same adoring expression.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple interviews later and they were headed to another hole in the wall bar. Lloyds Bar was even further off the trails than the Roadhouse but both known victims had a link to it at this point. When they got out of the car Dean immediately noticed the yellow flowers growing at all four corners of the dirt road intersection. They perked his interest because of their use in summoning rituals.

"So, two people become sudden successes about ten years ago, right around the time they were hanging out here at Lloyds."

"Where there just happened to be a crossroads, you think?" Sam asked him.

"Let's find out." He walked to the center of the intersection. "This look about dead center to you?"

It didn't take him long to find the box buried shallow in the center of the road. Inside they found a bottle of graveyard dirt and a bone, presumably from a black cat. This was pretty serious business.

Kayla looked over his shoulder at the box. "So explain this crossroads thing to me, I've never heard of it."

Dean was glad to get to flex his knowledge on the subject. "People summon a crossroads demon to make deals. They trade their soul for something. You know, like kick ass blues skills or say to be the greatest surgeon alive."

"Trade their soul like…they have to go to hell?"

"Exactly."

"See," Sam added, "they're not seeing black dogs. They're seeing hellhounds. Kind of like demonic pitbulls that are trying to collect a debt."

"Hellhounds." She nodded. "That sounds…pleasant."

Dean smirked. "Yeah try not to get bit."

"Funny."

Sam pulled a photograph of a man out of the box. "Let's see if we can find this guy before it's too late."

A few miles down the road Dean turned the music down and glanced to Kayla. She hadn't shown much reaction to all this and he wondered what she was thinking. He knew Sam was all righteous about it and thought they should all be saved from their doomed fates.

"So what would you trade?" He kept his eyes on the road.

"What?"

"What would you trade the demon?"

"You mean in exchange for my soul? Gonna have to go with nothing."

"Come on, fame, fortune, oh wait…you're already loaded."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think ten years of anything is worth an eternity in hell. And you're right, I'm already loaded, and I'm here with you. So what more do I need?"

He shrugged, trying to get a feel for her answer.

"You want me to get a boob job don't you?"

Dean laughed.

"I knew it! D's too small right? You want me to double up? Hey you think since it's just a physical modification that it'd let me live my _whole_ life and _then_ take me to hell?"

"Alright I get it." He smirked and turned the music back up. "No deals with demons."

At least they were on the same page.


	3. Chapter 3

He didn't like this job. Dean thought it was stupid to try to save people that had willingly agreed to be killed. No one made them make these deals, in fact, they called the demon to them. Why should they get help now?

Evan Hudson slammed the doors in their faces faster than they could tell him why they showed up. Apparently they looked like demons. Dean kicked the door in and they walked through the house, trying to not alarm the man but time was running out.

"Mr. Hudson?" Sam pushed the door open to an office.

"Please don't hurt me!" He held his hands up.

"We're not here to hurt you, we're here to help." Kayla's voice was calm, soothing.

Dean however, not so soothing. More like condescending. "We know all about your genius deal you made." He shrugged off the look he got from Kayla.

"How?"

"It doesn't matter. We came to help you." Sam continued.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't, but you're kind of running out of options there buddy boy."

Evan looked at Dean and rubbed his face, it was apparent he didn't want to help. "I don't wanna die."

"Of course you don't, not now."

"Dean knock it off." Kayla shoved his arm but his facial expression didn't change.

"So what'd you ask for? Never need Viagra, bowl the perfect game, what?"

"I um, I was desperate ok? My wife Julie, she was dying."

That put a halt to Dean's attitude for a moment. "You did it to save her."

"She had cancer, they had stopped treatment and moved her into hospice. They kept saying it was just a matter of days." He nodded slightly and looked at them. "So yeah I made the deal, and I'd do it again. I would have died for her on the spot."

This was bullshit. "Did you happen to think about her in all this?"

"I did this for her."

"Are you sure about that? Because I think you did it for yourself, so you wouldn't have to live without her. Well guess what, she's gonna have to live without you now. What if she knew, that it cost your soul? How do you think she'd feel?"

Sam motioned him into the hall. "That's enough, Mr. Hudson we're gonna figure this out."

They went into the hall and Dean was already set for the game plan. "Alright so you guys stay here and sprinkle some of that voodoo dust around, keep the thing away from him as long as possible. I'm gonna go to the crossroads and summon the demon."

Even Sam was surprised at that one. "Are you insane?"

"Maybe, but I can trap it and exorcize it to buy us more time."

"You don't know how much more time that'll be."

"Dean let me come with you, don't face the demon by yourself." She knew this was about John and the idea of him taking off after a deal-making demon made her nervous.

"No, it'll use you against me."

"But you can't just…"

"It's not an option Kayla, you're staying with Sam!"

From the other room the man yelled to them. "I think I hear it, it's outside!"

"Keep him alive." Dean demanded, Kayla started to argue and he cut her off. "Listen to me."

She grimaced and followed Sam back down the hall.

"Listen to me? You gonna put up with that crap?" He tried to lighten the mood.

"Shut up Sam." Dean called to him from the door and walked out. It was time to chat with a demon.


	4. Chapter 4

Kayla spread the dust around all the doors and windows before giving the bag back to Sam. They were both thinking the same thing; Dean wasn't in the right frame of mind to be confronting a crossroads demon. All of them had the suspicion that John made this kind of deal and it would be just like Dean to try to deal it back.

"I hear it." Hudson backed away from the door. "It's right outside the door, can't you hear it?"

"Just stay inside the circle." Truth was they couldn't hear it. When the doors started shaking Sam pulled Kayla back into the circle with them. "Stay here."

"Not a problem." Her eyes were locked on the doors until they started shaking.

"Is it over?"

They were quiet for a moment and the vent blew off the wall near the floor.

"Nice doggy…" Kayla's voice shook as claw marks were etched into the floor, they stopped at the circle.

Suddenly a wind circled through the room and the dust slowly started to blow away.

"Come on Dean." But it was too late, the circle was gone. "Let's move!" They took off out the door and down the hall; the nearest door was the closet under the stairs. Sam slammed the door shut behind them and he and Kayla leaned against it. The hellhound started pounding against it.

Then it stopped. The house was silent; Dean had stopped the hellhound.

"Is it over?"

"I think so." Sam breathed.

"Will it come back?"

"Knowing Dean? No. You're safe."

Kayla smiled reassuringly. "Enjoy every moment." And she knew he would.


	5. Chapter 5

The demon had confirmed his worst fears; dad was in hell in exchange for Dean's life. He was going through who knows what so that he could live. That wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Dean was supposed to be the one to die, that was how fate dealt the cards. _Fate._ What a joke.

"Dean when you were trapping that demon, it was all a trick right? You never actually considered making that deal, right?" Sam looked at him for an answer.

He wouldn't get one, he didn't really need it. Dean cranked the music up and kept driving. Kayla stared out the window. With the way Dean had been acting, she was surprised to that John himself wasn't the one who came back. He would sacrifice himself for his father in a heartbeat; she just wondered how quickly he would get what he wants.

The following morning Kayla slowly pulled the zipper closed on her bag, but it wasn't quiet enough for Sam.

"It's a little early for packing isn't it?"

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Please don't wake him up."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going home." She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"Wait, why?" He followed her out the door, keeping her wishes to leave Dean asleep, for now.

She waited until the door was shut to raise her voice again. "He would really, honestly rather be dead right now than deal with John being gone. How long do you think it'll be before he gets what he wants?"

"That's just Dean trying to put the pieces together, don't go."

"I don't want to go, ok? I just need some time to think, I mean, how am I supposed to stay and get closer to someone who doesn't even want to be here?"

"So talk to him. Don't take the easy way out."

"You know there's no reason to talk to him."

"Fine." Sam grimaced. "Do what you have to do."

"Sam don't be like that, it's hard enough as it is."

He gave her a tight hug and stepped back towards the door. "I just think you're making a mistake. In fact, I know you are. I'm waking Dean up."

"Sam!"

"I suggest you walk fast." He went back into the room and shoved Dean hard on the shoulder, he woke with a start.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Get up. Kayla's leaving."

"Kayla's leaving where?" He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Kayla's _leaving._ So get your ass up, stop being an idiot and go talk her out of it. And don't screw it up."

Dean stared at him for a moment like he was crazy then grudgingly stood up. No doubt his venture with the demon provoked her to split. He wasn't sure it was a bad thing. He didn't make the deal with the demon this time, but he wanted to. If he had the chance to go back he'd probably do it and if the situation ever came to pass again, he'd sure as hell trade. That wasn't fair to make her sit and wait for it. Sam was still staring at him. He sighed and went outside; Kayla was leaned against the Impala with her bag.

"Well good morning to you too." Dean smirked and walked over to her. "What's up?"

She didn't want this confrontation, she didn't want to chicken out. "I was thinking about going home."

"Looks like you were doing more than just thinking about it. You can be straight with me, ok, you don't have to take off without saying anything." He was still tired and decided to make the conversation a short one. "So what, you think that maybe it's not such a good idea to keep hanging out with someone who's proving to be a little suicidal?"

His bluntness threw her off. "I just…"

"That's just smart if you ask me. 'Cause hell, I can't in fairness keep you here and continue acting like this is gonna be forever and always when statistically speaking, it's not gonna happen. So good luck."

Sam shook his head from the doorway, didn't he tell him _not_ to screw it up? Maybe that jinxed it.

A cab pulled up in front of the room.

"So that's it." Kayla was a little shell shocked to say the least, she wasn't sure why she didn't expect this from him.

Dean handed the cab driver a handful of cash. "It's been fun." He nodded to her; didn't kiss her, didn't hug her, didn't say goodbye. Just nodded to her and went back into the room.

Kayla stood there for a moment and got into the cab. What was she supposed to do, go back and tell him she was sorry for thinking it was wrong for him to want to die? Sorry for wanting something more stable than a long-running fling? Dean Winchester was driving her insane.


End file.
